Pittsburgh, PA—GNC Holdings, Inc., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with a commitment from certain term lenders to provide $100 million in “new money” debtor-in-possession financing and $30 million from modifications to the existing ABL credit agreement, according toSeeking Alpha.All franchise partners, as well as corporate entities outside North America, are not included in the Chapter 11 process.

GNC will remain open for business,according to a press releasefrom the company, as will all of its subsidiaries and its website.

GNC is entering this process with a signed restructuring support agreement that is executed by more than 92% of Term Lenders and 87% of ABL FILO Lenders. GNC and these lenders have reached an agreement on a pre-arranged standalone plan of reorganization. The support from GNC’s creditors will “enable GNC to emerge from this process expeditiously,” the release says.
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Alternatively, GNC, Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Holding Co., Ltd., and a majority of GNC’s lenders have reached an agreement in principle for the sale of GNC’s business. The agreement outlines a $760 million purchase price for the transaction, which would be executed through a court-supervised auction process at which higher and better bids can be presented. The transaction, the press release says, is subject to mutually acceptable definitive documentation. In support of this sale, GNC has commenced a comprehensive marketing process for its business. If the sale occurs as outlined, it would be implemented instead of the standalone plan transaction.

The release says GNC expects to either confirm a standalone plan of reorganization or finalize a sale that will enable the business to exit from the bankruptcy process this fall.